Prebreaking mechanism for carton blanks



Aug. 5, 1952 o. WELSH ETAL PREBREAKING MECHANISM FOR CARTON BLANKS 6 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed July 9, 1949 INVENTORS a. m M

M m a r g- 1952 o. WELSH EI'AL 0 6 PREBREAKING MECHANISM FOR CARTON BLANKS Filed July 9, 1945 a Sheets-Sheet, z

INVENTORS OEME WELSH By ELMEE Q #0255 ,4 TTOP/VE Y lZa.

Aug. 5, 1952 WELSH ETAL I 2,605,679

PREBREAKING MECHANISM FOR CARTON BLANKS Filed July 9, 1949 I 6 Sheets-Sheet 3 INVENTORS 00445 WELSH VLMER 0. A/oeEE/v 147' 7 ORA/E Y 5, 1952 o. WELSH ET AL 2,605,579

PREBREAKING MECHANISM FOR CARTON BLANKS Filed July 9, 1949 6 SheetS- -Sheet e INVENTORS OEME W51. ,5 y ELMEE 0 A/ EEN and glued blank, the internal spacing being" somewhat exaggerated for the sake of clarity, j

Fig. 1G is a perspective of a section of the carton set up and ready for filling.

Fig. 2 is a diagrammatic view-in perspective of the principal working parts of the machine.

Fig. 3 is a transverse sectional elevation on line 3-3 of Fig. 2. t r

Fig. 4 is a transverse sectional elevation on. line 1-4 of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is, an enlarged longitudinal sectional elevation f e e din ehiof h ma h he h h line5 -5ofFig.3."'

6. a mi a shtthhhl lt at sh f h breaker wheel portion of the machine on line 6-4; of Fig. 4, 4 t

i a ant? a ra me tar p rtion hi it blank a d set io of h u per r ke h e dies a h or int:v htw hs'f he c ntact o he dies and blank.

The general purpose and operation of the ma chine will be understood from reference to Figs. 1 to 1G. The feeder mechanism is indicated generally by the numeral IQ and the breaker mechwith; y t e hume l A sil nt b ank 12 are disposed on the "inclineditable it, being feathered or stepped so that the :top blank leads. Picker members on the rotary feeders, as will later be described, successively pick offthe top blank and advance it tothe"feeders whichdef liver it on to the endless conveyor'chain' l 4 which 7 4 mechanism. The general relationship of these shafts and of the wheels and other parts carried thereby is shown diagrammatically in Fig. 2.

Of the two feeder wheel shafts, the lower shaft l9 bears in the side frames and the upper shaft bears in brackets 2| on the top of the side frames. The lower shaft 1.9,has two spaced feed wheels 22 and 23 and the upper shaft 20 has two feed wheels 24 and 25 which cooperate with wheels 22 and 23, respectively.

" Of the two shafts of the breaker section, the

. lowen shaft 26 bears in the side frames and the upper shaft 21 bears in brackets 28 on top of the side frames.

Secured on these shafts are aipair'of cooperative breaker wheels 29 and 30.; repe tive y.

Fewer is applied to the lower feed wheel shaft [9. and the other moving parts are driven therefrom. Shafts l9 and 29 are geared together by gears 3| and 32. The lower feed wheels 22 and 23 are smaller than the'upper feed wheels. 24 n n he ratio heater 3 n c-3. such ha the p ri e al je lbt h fififl ltfil is thesame. 1 x

e o r k riw ee Sh ft?t' s lr vehhtm s aft wh a r cketthai .3- i h ph ttts sprocket wheel 35lon shaft 19 with sprocket wheel 35 on shaft 26. Breaker'wheel shafts 2B; and 21 are gearedtogetherin' a one to one. ratio by gear wheels 36 and 3.7 andthe ratio of'sp ljocket wheels 34 and 35 is such th'at shafts Zliand 21 have the same rate as that of the upper feed wheel shaft 28. Since the breaker; wheels 29 and ha he amed ame ras ha pher eed wheels 24 and 25, itfollows; thatthe feed wheels and the breaker wheels all-havethe same, peripheral speed. L

As shown, there are; two cohveyor chains I4 which run over; idler, sprockets 35' on the lower feed wheel shaft IS, the disposition being such that the feedwheels. 22 and 24 are between the passes it through the breaker'rnechafnism; I land; thence to the pullingrolls l5 of the gluer andfolding section "[62 The blank is shown in Fig. 1A as it eomesfrom' the cutter. Near one'end there isfQrm'ed by 0111;; line cutting a series ofcsjixinternal separator or egg cell wall sections of; which three' numbered I! are attached at their rear endsin 'relatiorito the direction of movement of the blank asindicated by the arrow A, andthe other three numbered I8 are reversed. Theob ject is. to break the crease or fold lineof these six cell walls.

After passing through the. breaker. section these six walls are brokendown from the. flat position of Fig. 13,; to the, angular. position. of- Fig. 1D. The blanks are then caught by. therollers l5 of thegluing and foldingsectionlli, which have a somewhat greater speedthan the conv y r a d pull. he la k awayfrom the sh-i ins u s n e v rrwh c .,.w ll, ater bare: ferred to.

The gluing and folding sectionturns oventhe narrow panel I21; and glues itto the middle f panel [2b, the cover I20. folding. over Oncrease The flat folded blank, thus formed is eventually delivered to another. machine where it,

erected as shown in Fig. 1G. When closed the cover is self locking, the fingers {2e engaging under the outer triangular pieces, I 2 by which the separator walls are connected to the' blank body.

The machine has two side frame memhers l and 18 which provide bearingsfor four main; shafts, two for the feeder and twofgrthe breaker white; th r the a h ins. and h e Whee Hand. har uts de the chains.

m he' dlersfifi e hai unhqr zch ally over sprockets, 3 9;fixed on shaft 40" which. bears in e side me t ther'eat a d oft a hine, and thence down over' igllers 4 l;on. sh aft 42 and nt o w rd. ho izontal r ov r, QlQ i i Qh. shaft 4.4 an dthence upto the sprockets Q3 The shaft 45} is driven from the sh ft I19, hrough a pair of intermediate sprocketst d is readily'variablein qrdgfto jsynghronize, the v o eed i h. e e i heral. pee fgthe breaker wheels.

c e b l l shr ktt.mem hh sists of sprockets 45' and 4.,loosely bearing on. stud 41 on the side frame member l 8;;s stan-e. ymi etwe n. ashe ts. ahd; 19,. A. rdchet ha n. ttg uhs hr-a prqtket .9; xed. on t e. hatty' h ar h htl; where. he shah-I ins driv ndhv x lss ftphhtfifiz-q s mc s' t 45 is e d. o sprotket .6 ea? to .tum'theree with. and aph n uns. Qr r pmche 51an41 e rocke fixe n shaft-4. L.

Over the upper. feed, wheels; 25!; and 25. are brushes 52 and 53;, respectively, on shaft 'll l the bearings, for whichfare supported by suitable, brackets I attached to, the game of ithegmachine, and which is driven by belhiiiwhich. runs over pulley 5B-onshaft 20. andpulley 5] onshaftjd,

For, protective purposes," th earin'g on.v the right end of the,shaftslandgthejsprecget drive from shaft l9 tofshaft- 26? are shqwnlas, enclosed. within. a housing 58; i i I b11228??? fwl licn ati of wh ch.

hi h m ha e support-the bearings forthe upper feed wheel shaft ZO' are adjustable vertically,-as indicated in Fig. 3; inorder; to control the spacing between the upper and lower feed wheels according' -to the thickness ofthe blanks. 1

The lowerlfeed wheels 22 and 23* are rubber faced. The;upper'feedwheels have a series'of four peripheral cavities Bil-each of which is adapted to receive'a rubber faced block 6| .or adummy filler block 62'. Two of the cavities are'180- apart and the other two are 120 apart and 120 each from one of the first two cavities. The rubber faced blocks 6! are friction blocks that pick off the top blank from the stack on the table l3 as they passby. Hence the upper wheels can. be made to pick :off one, two or three blanks for each rotation, dependingzon the numberof picker blocks used, which in-turn depends upon the length of the blanks. It is shown in Fig. 5 with two picker or stripper blocks and with that setting willfeed two blanks withv each rotation.

As shown in Fig. 5, the blanks in the stack on the feed table are feathered out or shingled with the top blank in contact with the upper feeder wheels and the blanks immediately underneath successively engaging an adjustable rubber faced retarder block 63, which is set so as to permit the feeding of only one blank at a time. .The upper feeder wheels turn clockwise as seen in Fig. 5, and the'topblock 6| .will strip off the top blank from the stack as it comesaround and feed it between, the feeder wheels, the lower block Bl will strip off the ,nextblank, and so on The blank is guided by edge guides 64 and 65 after leaving the feed wheels, and rests .intermediate its, edges on chain. shields ,66, on longitudinal supports. Bldisposed between the chains and on support 68 outside the feed wheels 23 and 25. Adjustably mounted on a cross. shaft 69 supported by bracket 10 from the frame of the machine are hold down means overlying the blanks on, the supportsBE, 61 and 68, consisting of an adjustable bar 11 over the left hand shield 66, a rod 12 over the right hand shield 66 and two rods 13 over the support 68. 1

Also overlying the supports 61 is a retarder 14 on the' end of curved rod 15 carried by the ad-.

justable bracket on shaft .69. The function of this retarder T4 is to check the movement of the bla ks as they leave the feeder wheels and cause them to await the arrivalof engaging means on the conveyor chains which are so adjusted as to time the feed of the blanks properly into the breaker. 7 V

For this purpose, the chains are provided with spaced lugs 16 which are relatively alined on, the two chains and are variable in number and setting so as to takecare of single, double or triple feed of blanks for each rotation of the feed wheels. For this purpose, the chains are provided with pin groups which may be spaced at intervals of fourteen, twenty-one and-forty-two inches so that the detachable lugs 16 may be fastened thereto, the fourteen inch spacing being for triple feed, the twenty-one inch spacing being for double feed and the forty-two inch spacing being. for single feed.

The support 68 is in line with the breaker wheels 29 and 30 which are disposed'so as to receive the separatoriwall 'zone of the blanks between them. The wheelsare equipped with mating or complementary dies which coact to break downwardly the sections l1 and I8 of the blanks. There are two dies in each of the upper and lower wheels, disposed side by side, for each separator wall section, and since" there aresix. separators in each blank, there are-.altogetheritwelve dies .on each wheel for each'. group of dies, that is, for each blank. There will be one group of dies for each blank fed, .for each rotationof .the'feed and breakerwheels, and there are, therefore, two dies groups spaced 180 in the construction as shown. The upper breaker dies 11 are external dies, that is, they act as plungers, and the lower breaker dies 18 are internal, that is, they are cups and receive the plungers, the coacting dies coming successively into register as the wheels turnw The; die elements are ineach wheel secured to 'circumferentiaily, adjustable blocks on the'respective wheel periphery. The two upper die elements 11a. and 11b of each pair coact with theregisteringlower die elements 18a and 181), respectively, and the lower die elements are partially surrounded by arim19 which bears on the underside of the blank around each cut and provides a support against which the breaking pressure is applied. 7 p

The adjustable block for each upper die pair is held to the rim of the wheel 30, by cap screws threaded in a nut 8| which is retained in a dovetail slot in the rim and when loosened permits circumferentialadjustment of the dies. In this way the breaker dies can be clamped in any desired position on the wheel. The die elements are attached to the-blocks Bibby screws and dowel pins, as shown in Figs. 4 and 6. The lower die elements 18 a'nd'18b of each pair of breakers are similarly attached to similar adjustable blocks 82.

The contour of the upper breaker dies 11a and 71b i's'such as to avoid tearing the separator walls I! and 18 at their attached ends. For this purpose the upper dies are rounded oil or radially relieved at the ends which engage the attached ends of the separator walls. This is shown in the sectional and side views of Fig. 6. Since the wall members I! and I8 are relatively reversed, the leading three pairs of dies 1'") are reversed relative to the trailing three pairs, the first three beingrounded off or relieved at their rear end and the latter three being relieved at their front end. The rims 19 of the first three lower die pairs are, consequently, reversed with respect to the last three of each group. In both groups the two sets of three are slightly spaced as required by the blank.

In the operation of the machine as shown, two blanks are fed and two are broken by each revolution of. the feeder and breaker wheels. The operator takes a number of blanks and feathers or fans them out ina step-like manner so that the'upper blankis farthest forward on thepile and the blanks underneath extend backward in even progression with the sides of the blanks in line. The pile of feathered out blanks is then placed on the feed table with the upper blank resting against the surfaces of the upper feed wheels. A sheet of tin or other smooth material is secured on top of the inclined feed boards to provide'a surface on which the blanks will slide down-freely against the feed wheels to permit continuous feeding.

The first friction blocks Bl to engage the top blank in the rotation of the feed wheels pull a blank through the gap at the retarder and advance it to the bite of the feed wheels. When the trailing edge of the blank has passed through between the feed wheels, the forward progress of the blank ceases momentarily until the lugs on the conveyor chains contact the rear edge of the blank and push it through between the breaker wheels. The dies-coma. tobreak .down the separator wallsas the blank passes through, after whichlitis caught byithe pull rollers of the gluing andioldingsection;2 s

It will be understood that while the specific construction shown is presented as a satisfactory embodiment of theiinvention, it may in many respects be otherwise embodied without departing from the principle and scope o ftheinvention as defined in thefol 'lov'vingclaims;

1. For cartonblanks having a linear series of cut-out separator walllportions each attached to the blank on one: 'end,'p'rebraker mechanism for angularly' bending the 'separator' wall portions out of the plane oi the'blank-and-preliminarily breaking the material of the 'blank on the line-of bend of each wall portion,said mechanism com-- prising side guides forblanks, two parallel conveyor' chains between the guides, spaced lugs similarly disposed on the two chains, a pair of cooperative feed wheels disposed between the chains in positionto receive and deliver blanks on to the chainswith' their edges in the side guides, hold. downmeans over the path of the blank to hold" the -blanks "on, the chains, separate retarder means overgthe chains operative to check the momentum ofblanks delivered on to thechains, apair'ofi cooperative breaker wheels disposed in a plane outside the chains in position to receive the separator wall portions of the blanks" between them, registering complementary dies on the breaker wheel peripheries operative to engage the wall portions successively and bend "them about their attached ends, means to drive theuchains continuously insynchronism, and means to drive the feed and breaker wheels continuously; I j i I 2. For carton blanks havin ailinear series, of cut-out separator wall portions jeach attached to the blank on onee'nd, prebreaker mechanism for angularly bending the separator wall portions out of the plane of the blank and preliminarily breaking" the materiallof the blank on the line of bend, of each wallportion, said mechanism com prising side guides" for blanks, two parallel conveyor chains between the guides, spaced lugs similarly disposed on the'two chains, .a pair, of

cooperative feed wheels disposed between the chains in position to receive and deliver blanks on to the chains with their edges in the sideguides, holddown" means, overthe path of the blank to hold the blanks onthe' chains, separate retarder means," over the chains operative to check the momentum ,of"blanks.delivered on to the chains, a pair of cooperative breaker wheels disposed ina plane outside the chainsin position to receive the separator wall portions of the blanks between them, registering complementary dies on the breaker wheel peripheries operative to engage the wall portions successively and bend them about theirfattached ends, interconnected means to drive the feed and breaker wheels continuously at the same peripheral speed, and means to drive the chains continuously insynchronism at a speed equal tosaid' peripheral speed. I

3. In a prebreaker mechanism as claimed in claim -2, circumferentially adjustable holding means for the dies on the peripheries of the H breaker wheels, and securing meansv for the lugs 8 disposed along the, chains in proper spacing to permit. selective positioning of the lugs in timed relation to the circumferential positions of the dies. f V

4. A prebreaker ,:mechanism as, claimed in claim '2 in which the dies on one ofthe breaker wheels :are cups the upstanding wall of which is shaped to engage the blank about the cut edge of each-separator wall portion and the dies on the other breakerwheel are protruding blocks shaped to enter the cups.

51A prebreaker mechanism as claimed in claim '2 in which the dies on the lower breaker Wheel are cups :and thezdies. on the upper breaker Wheel are. protruding block-s having a peripheral contour with the portion whichengages the attached'end of the separator wall portions substantiallyradiallyrelieved. '6. A prebreaker mechanism as claimed in claim 2 in which in'ea'ch series ofdieshalf of the die blocks lhave the contours of their engaging faces shaped with their trailing portions substantially radially relieved and the other half have theleading portions of their engaging faces substantially radially relieved.

'7. .For carton blanks having a linear series of cut-out separator wall portions each attached to the blank on one end,'prebreaker mechanism for angul'arly bending the separator wall portions out of the plane of the blank and preliminarily breaking the material of the blank on the line of bend of each wall poftionsaidmechanism comprising side guides for blanks, two parallel conveyor chains between the guides, adjustable spaced lugssimilarly' disposed on the two chains, a longitudinally extending blank support between the chains, hold down means for blanks extending over the support, a pair of cooperative feeding Wheels disposed in position to receive and deliver blanks on to the chains and support underneath the hold down means, circumferentially adjustable blank picker means on the periphery of one of the feeding wheels, a pair of cooperative breaker wheels disposed in a plane outside the chains in position to receive the separator wall" portions ofthe blanks between them, a longitudinally extending blanksupport in line with the breaker wheels, hold down means for blanks extending over the latter support, registering 'complementary'dies adjustably disposed on thebreaker wheel peripheries operative to engage the wall portions successively and bend them about their attached ends, means to drive the feed and breaker wheels continuously at the same peripheral speed, and means to drive the chains continuously in 'synchronism at the said peripheral speed. a

ORME WELSH.

ELMER D. NQREEN.

REFERENCES CITED. The followingreferences are of'record in the file of this patent; 7

UNITEDLSTATES PATENTS La'Bombard "June 26, 1945 

